I figured I'd give my report. Due to my sea sickness, I was looking for a 1 tank dive. I originally set things up with Kona Huna divers but it became a nightmare just on the phone. I didn't get a good vibe, so I cancelled them and went with Big Island Divers. They did a 1 tank dive Easter night. We had 3 divers and 2 snorkelers (though 1 snorkeler didn't make it in the water).
All the divers go down and sit around the "campfire" with dive lights pointing up. The snorkelers hang out on top and point lights downward. The mantas perform a beautiful ballet while feeding. If you are nervous about big animals, this is NOT for you. They get extremely close, even bumping you at times. But, it was an awesome experience.
Big Island Divers was awesome: When I called for the reservations, they took our heights and weights. When we arrived at the shop, they had all our rental gear laid out. A quick size up to make sure the wetsuits would work....then we tried on the bc's and they showed us how they worked (dump valves, inflator valves, disconnects, weights, etc...)THEN, they loaded all of the gear into a truck, took it to the dock (only a few blocks away) AND loaded it into the boat for us. They also set up all the gear (EVEN if you brought your own). So, when we got on board we were taken care of.
It was about a 20 min ride to the spot by the airport. When we got there, we had to wait 40 min. before we did our NIGHT dive. But, they have a videographer who gave us an awesome "briefing" on the mantas, how each has its own "fingerprint" color pattern on the belly, showed us pictures and history. Then the DM went over the dive protocol (not much to it). Then we got in.
Bad part, it was cold. I dive in San Diego...cold water. I was not expecting it to be cold. I had a 3 mm long sleeve, long pant and they added a shorty. The dive boat captain, had neoprene hats (similar to a water polo hat) and we used those. Unlucky for me (and my dad) we got cold so we ended the dive about 15 min. before the others but still had an incredible experience. There were 20 mantas that night.
Martina Wing was the videographer. She knew what groups were together and while underwater, filmed us together in our groups. She did a very beatiful job. I believe she goes out almost every night. It was $50 to purchase a copy (cash) but worth every penny to relive the moments. There is an eel, Crazy Frank, that likes to visit the campfire, so that was interesting also.
So, I can not compare to the other operators (except for bad customer service on the phone with Kona Huna), but I will definitely dive Big Island Divers when we return. They had snacks, drinks, towels and a warm shower. Mahalo to Captain Mike, DM's Joshua and Timmy. It was an experience I'll never forget and will share with anyone who wants my opinion.